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Topic: SCE-200 semi-cryo engine info (Read 89635 times)

In a recent interview LPSC director casually mentioned they have began manufacturing the first test engine

According to S. Somnath, LPSC Director, ISRO wants to test a semi-crygenic engine prototype in a year.

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Considering that the global space market’s future will be defined by heavy lift boosters, it is imperative for Isro to develop the GSLV’s advanced avatars as soon as possible. The international launch scene is changing rapidly with newer launchers constantly pushing the bar higher on payload capability.

Isro scientists seem ready for the challenge and have set their sights on leapfrogging to GSLVs powered by semi-cryogenic engines. Fuelled by kerosene and liquid oxygen, these engines would be capable of lofting ten-ton satellites into space, cutting launch costs dramatically. "We expect to test the prototype of a semi-cryogenic engine in a year’s time," says Somnath. "And we may fly it by 2021. Engine development takes a very long time, at least 10 years for realisation."

"Various tests are in progress on the engine. Of the four turbo pumps in it, three have undergone tests at the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri. We plan to have the engine ready by 2019 end, the stage by 2020-end and the first flight by 2021,’’ S Somanath, director, LPSC, said.

LPSC had developed the cryogenic engine for the GSLV Mk-II and the much powerful one for the GSLV Mk-III. The idea is to replace the second stage of the GSLV Mk-III, which now uses a liquid stage, with the semi-cryo. The rocket will retain the cryogenic upper, third stage.

The advantage of inducting the semi-cryogenic stage is the payload capacity of the GSLV Mk-III will increase from four tonnes to six tonnes. Using refined kerosene as fuel has quite a few advantages: It is eco-friendly and cost-effective.

Taking into account the '-end' suffix added to the dates (hinting it is more likely *optimistic* targets than what is *likely*) the revised targeted dates would be:

There is also a project to cluster 4-5 of these engines to create a more powerful core for future heavy-lift launchers, but that would probably have to wait for much longer due to its inherent complexities, and the need to fabricate stages with a diameter of 5m or more.

Current version in development is designed to be expendable with follow-on version designed to support reuse.

Actually SCE-200 is being developed with reusability in mind. Each engine can be reused up to 15 times.

I know the semi-cryo engine intended for use in the planned TSTO (Two-Stage-To-Orbit) vehicle is supposed to be reusable as you've said, however it's not clear to me whether that engine is the same as the SCE-200, which is meant for replacing the GSLV-Mk3's L110 stage (UDMH/N2O4).

Logically, it might be practical for ISRO to first get SCE-200 non-reusably flying on GSLV-Mk3, which is an expendable launch vehicle, even while it works to achieve reusability on its semi-cryo engine meant for TSTO.

SEE THIS VIDEO IT HAS VERY INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT SCE-200 & CE-60 600KN CRYO ENGINE AND MORE LATEST LPSC FEB 2017 LAST 5 MINUTES REGARDING RE-USABILITY AND MAN RATED ABILITY OF SCE-200

WHAT IS EVIDENT FROM THIS VIDEO IS THAT SCE-200 DESIGNED BASED ON RE-USABILITY IN MIND FROM SCRATCH ONWARDS AND ALSO MAN RATED,SO PROVISIONS FOR MULTIPLE ENGINE BURNS RESTARTS IN SPACE ARE ALSO TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION HE ALSO SAID UP TO 15 TIMES RE-USABILITY OF ENGINE IS POSSIBLE....

Please understand that all modera rocket engines are somewhat reusable. The reusability is needed so it can be bench tested before installation, and do a graceful launch abort after ignition but before lift off.It also helps enormously with testing and certification, since you need something close to 100 tests. Without reusability you'd need 100 engines, with 15 you could do away with less than 10.But, the real question is the ease of refurbishment and the air starts and restart capability. And engine life, of course.

Current version in development is designed to be expendable with follow-on version designed to support reuse.

Actually SCE-200 is being developed with reusability in mind. Each engine can be reused up to 15 times.

I know the semi-cryo engine intended for use in the planned TSTO (Two-Stage-To-Orbit) vehicle is supposed to be reusable as you've said, however it's not clear to me whether that engine is the same as the SCE-200, which is meant for replacing the GSLV-Mk3's L110 stage (UDMH/N2O4).

Logically, it might be practical for ISRO to first get SCE-200 non-reusably flying on GSLV-Mk3, which is an expendable launch vehicle, even while it works to achieve reusability on its semi-cryo engine meant for TSTO.

All liquid fuel rocket engines are reusable to a certain extent. The CE-20 that was recently flown on MK-3 was fired 2-3 times before it was flight tested.

The testing facilities at the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, are being augmented for the engine being developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre here under a project codenamed SCE 200. Three of the four turbo pumps of the new engine have been tested and the pre-burner and thrust chamber are being readied for testing, LPSC Director S. Somanath told The Hindu.

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ISRO scientists have simultaneously begun work on the stage configuration. ‘‘We hope to complete the development of the engine by 2019. The stage test is expected to take place by 2020, followed by the first flight test in 2021,’’ he said.

They appear to be considering a configuration with a clustered kerolox core and a more powerful hydrolox upper stage (either clustered CE-20 or a new, more powerful engine) rather than one powered by a single CE-20.

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A clustered semi cryogenic booster with a more powerful cryogenic upper stage is another possibility. ‘‘Once we have mastered the technology, we could possibly go on to modular development of rockets with different configurations,’’ Mr. Somanath said.

On the necessary supporting tech and infrastructure

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But before that, ISRO needs to ensure that critical technologies such as special materials and coatings, brazing process, kerosene refinement, combustion instability and control components are mastered and the necessary infrastructure is in place.

A 2-3 x SCE200 booster would handle GTO missions HSF to LEO without SRBs. Add there large SRBs with large US and 25-30t might be possible. For HSF the other possibility is flying Dreamchaser for SNC, its in need of low cost LV.

Does any know what the name of GSLV Mk.III with the SCE200? Is it GSLV Mk.IV?

They haven't mentioned any names so far, but it could very well be GSLV MkIV going by their 'functional' naming convention. Unless of course, they plan to use that core with smaller solids to create a family of launchers (Unified Launch Vehicle - ULV) to replace PSLV and GSLV-II as well, in which case the rocket could be named ULV-xx.

The Yuzhmash production plant in Ukraine prepares to begin a series of firings testing critical parts of a large rocket engine intended for India's next-generation heavy launcher. Although it was built entirely in India, the prospective engine was originally designed in Ukraine under designation RD-810.

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Foreign roles for RD-810

Over the years, various roles were proposed for RD-810, including replacing the Russian RD-171 on the Ukrainian-built Zenit rocket and propelling Ukraine's new-generation Mayak launcher. A four-engine cluster, dubbed RD-810M, was designed to fit into the aft section of a potential space booster with a diameter 3.9 meters, matching the caliber of the Zenit rocket. Each RD-810 was expected to gimbal up to six degrees around one axis, allowing the four-engine cluster to fully steer the rocket.

Because none of the indigenous programs could be adequately funded, Ukraine sought to bring the RD-810 design to the international market. Along with several other Ukrainian designs, the RD-810 was proposed for the American super-heavy rocket developed under the Space Launch System, SLS, program. However, despite qualifying RD-810 as in high degree of readiness, American space officials did not seriously consider Ukrainian engines for the SLS project.

Indian version

In 2005, Ukraine agreed to provide India with designs for the RD-810 engine and, on Nov. 20, 2006, the Indian Space Research Organization, ISRO, awarded a contract to KB Yuzhnoe for a project code-named Jasmine, which officially started the development of the RD-810. In India, the RD-810-based engine was dubbed SC-200, which stood for "semi-cryogenic," indicating the use of kerosene fuel, which can be stored at regular temperatures, and liquid oxygen, which requires cryogenic conditions to stay in liquid form. The "200" in the designation denoted its thrust of 200 tons.

ISRO planned to install the SC-200 engine on the modified core stage of the GSLV Mark 3 rocket replacing the older propulsion system. It would boost the payload capacity of the rocket to the geostationary transfer orbit from four to six tons. Later, four similar engines could propel a new-generation rocket, which could deliver up to 10 tons to the same orbit without the help of strap-on boosters.

In addition to assisting with the design of the engine, KB Yuzhnoe also advised ISRO on the development of the prospective launch vehicle itself.

As of 2014, KB Yuzhnoe had produced the full set of design documentation required for the production and testing of the engine. (809) According to industry sources, India then re-issued the blueprints for the engine according to its own standards and, possibly, introduced some modifications.

In the meantime, KB Yuzhnoe decided to stop further development of the RD-810 engine inside Ukraine, focusing instead its limited resources on the more powerful RD-815 design, which could potentially be promising on the US market.

Testing RD-810

In 2017, Indian specialists returned to Ukraine to test fire the actual hardware, which had been built in India within the Jasmine project. According to industry sources, the Ukrainian Yuzhmash factory was contracted to test, not the entire engine, but its critical components, including its gas generator and a turbopump, which had all been manufactured in India. If the firings, apparently planned to be completed by 2019, validated the quality of the Indian manufacturing methods, the fully assembled engine, including the combustion chamber and the nozzle, would be tested at the yet-to-be completed bench facility at Mahendragiri, India.